COMMUNITY PROJECT #412 - RONGOĀ GARDENS IN SCHOOLS
Mission Statement:
To re-entangle our tamariki with the healing power of the whenua by establishing traditional medicinal (Rongoā) gardens in every Northland school as living classrooms for biology and heritage.
The Needs Assessment:
The "Newtonian Error" has separated our children from the natural world, leading to a loss of "Original Participation." Many tamariki can identify global brands but cannot identify the plants in their own backyard that can heal them. This disconnection contributes to a reliance on expensive, extractive "Babylonian" health models for simple ailments.
Core Objectives:
Establish 5 pilot Rongoā gardens in local primary and secondary schools within 12 months.
Identify and plant at least 20 indigenous medicinal species (e.g., Kawakawa, Koromiko, Mānuka) per garden.
Train 100 students in basic plant identification, sustainable harvesting (tikanga), and simple preparation methods.
Integrate the "Mauri Model" into the school science curriculum to measure the health of the school’s ecosystem.
Stakeholder Map:
School Boards & Teachers: Integrating the gardens into the daily curriculum.
Rongoā Practitioners: Local healers providing the "Deep Spirit" and technical knowledge.
Native Nurseries: Providing eco-sourced seedlings.
Tamariki & Whānau: The primary gardeners and beneficiaries of the healing knowledge.
The "Impact" Model:
This project is a "Universal Explainer" initiative. It uses the physical garden to teach complex concepts like biochemistry, ecology, and spiritual physics. It is sustained by the schools’ existing maintenance budgets and augmented by whānau volunteer days, creating a "Circular Knowledge" loop where students take their learning home to their own backyards.
Engagement Strategy:
We will host "Healing Harvest" days where parents are invited to see what their children have grown and learn how to make a simple Kawakawa balm. We will use storytelling to link the plants to the "Quantum Whakapapa" of the region, making the science feel like a lived reality.
Resource Requirements:
Eco-sourced native plants and organic soil/compost.
Basic gardening tools and sustainable irrigation systems.
"Rongoā Kits" (jars, oils, beeswax) for processing the harvests.
Weatherproof educational signage in Te Reo Māori and English.
Timeline of Action:
Week 1: Consultation with school staff and local Rongoā experts on garden design.
Week 2: Site preparation and soil health testing using the Mauri Model.
Week 3: "Planting Wānanga" with students, teachers, and kaumātua.
Week 4: First educational workshop on "The Mauri of the Kawakawa Leaf."
Mauri Assessment
Te Taiao (Environment): +2 — Increases local biodiversity and restores native flora in urban/school settings.
Te Ahurea (Culture): +2 — Revitalises traditional healing knowledge and normalises Te Reo Māori in a scientific context.
Te Tangata (Social): +1 — Builds student confidence and provides a calming, therapeutic space for learning.
Te Pūtea (Economic): 0 — While not a direct revenue generator, it reduces whānau spending on basic pharmaceutical remedies.
